Emergency Preparedness: Tips on How to Survive

You never really know when an emergency will strike. No matter what happens, you should know what to do in unexpected situations. Past emergency situations have probably given people the wake-up call and surely, it has taught you something. Whether you are expecting to face a storm, a tsunami, a typhoon, flood, or even an earthquake, emergency preparedness is necessary. All individuals should at least anticipate these events and plan their actions when it happens.

There are many things you should know about emergency preparedness. It is not just your act of knowing what to do but preparing the things you will need. Being safe should be your priority, yes, but you should also need food, clothing, water, and first aid.

Emergency preparedness: What to prepare?

Food and water is necessary in emergencies. It should always be packed in a way that it will be accessible for you and your family when the inevitable happens. Storing instant food like canned goods should always be your priority because these will not require too much preparation. At least one gallon per person of water should be prepared and another gallon if you have pets.

The Emergency Preparedness Kit: What should it contain?

This kit depends on the members of your family. If you have a baby, an older person, or a pet, you should include the necessary things that they would need. Aside from water and food, your emergency preparedness kit should have the following:

First Aid Kit

Make sure that your first aid contains bandages, safety pins, soap, gloves, scissors, needles, antiseptic, thermometers, and some other things that you think is necessary. Adding non-prescription drugs like pain relievers, antacid, anti-diarrhea medicines, laxatives, syrup of Ipecac, and activated charcoal is also necessary.

Tools and Supplies

It is also necessary to place things like radio, extra-batteries, paper cups, plates, plastic utensils, flashlight, utility knives, pliers, tape, aluminum foil, plastic storage containers, signal flare, and medicine dropper. You could add other supplies that you think may be necessary for your emergency preparedness kit.

In times of emergencies, you are expected to be sleep away from the comforts of your home. You should pack sturdy shoes or work boots that you should keep near your bed at all times, rain gear, blankets and sleeping bags, warm clothing, and sunglasses.

Documents

Your documents are also considered important, so you should spend time in keeping them close to you always, in case there would be emergencies. Documents that you should be packing should include will, contracts deeds, insurance policies, stocks and bonds, bank account numbers, passports, social security cards, immunization records, family records such as birth, marriage and death certificates, important telephone numbers and credit card account numbers.

As mentioned earlier, your emergency preparedness kit should include things that are necessary for the special needs of some of your family members like babies or older persons.

Emergency preparedness and survival tips:

Below are ten tips that will help you to be prepared in emergency situations:

1. It is best to assume that disasters can happen anytime. Research shows that survival is 90 percent psychology, so it means that being mentally and emotionally unprepared will lower your odds of survival.

2. Try your best not to panic. Of course, it is normal to be afraid but when you are prepared, you can deal with anything more efficiently.

3. Knowing your limits as a person will help you survive. So, you should create a custom-made survival plan for your family so they will know what to do.

4. Knowing how to do more with less will be a plus factor in emergency situations. By the simple activity of tent camping with your family, you can teach them the necessary things they need to know. Making them read survival books can also increase their knowledge.

5. You should keep your preparedness plan simple. Keep in mind that real-life situations may be different from the one you have prepared. There is no need for fancy preparedness because the simple ones can save you. Your plan should have less moving parts.

6. Prepare for the most likely disaster that could strike in your area.

7. Creating a bug-out kit for your family that contains mobile emergency supplies should come with your home-based supplies. This will ensure that you are prepared when you are forced to evacuate.

8. You should prepare physically and act on the preparedness plan you have made. You should not be afraid to modify your plan to changes in needs.

9. It is also important to keep your neighbors prepared as well. Your family should not be the only ones prepared.

10. After you are done with your preparation work, you can rotate survival kit items because they have expiration dates. Fear and paranoia is counterproductive and it will not do you any good.